Antebellum Revivalism & Reform

Antebellum Revivalism & Antebellum Revivalism & ReformReform

Mr. PagliaroMr. PagliaroSeymour High SchoolSeymour High School

“Spiritual Reform From Within”

[Religious Revivalism]Social Reforms & Redefining the

Ideal of Equality

Temperance

Asylum &Penal

Reform

Education

Women’s Rights

Abolitionism

The Second Great Awakening

In France, I had almost always seen the spirit of religion and the spirit of freedom pursuing courses diametrically opposed to each other; but in America, I found that they were intimately united, and that they reigned in common over the same country… Religion was the foremost of the political institutions of the United States. -- Alexis de Tocqueville, 1832R1-1

The Rise of Popular ReligionThe Rise of Popular Religion

““The Pursuit The Pursuit of Perfection”of Perfection”

In In AntebellumAntebellum America America

““The Benevolent Empire”:The Benevolent Empire”:1825 - 18461825 - 1846

The The “Burned-Over” District“Burned-Over” Districtin Upstate New Yorkin Upstate New York

Second Great AwakeningSecond Great Awakening Revival Revival MeetingMeeting

The ranges of tents, the fires, reflecting light…; the candles and lamps illuminating the encampment; hundreds moving to and fro…;the preaching, praying, singing, and shouting,… like the sound of many waters, was enough to swallow up all the powers of contemplation.

“soul-shaking”

conversionR1-2

Charles G. FinneyCharles G. Finney(1792 – 1895)(1792 – 1895)

Joseph Smith (1805-1844)

1823 Golden Tablets

1830 Book of Mormon

1844 Murdered in Carthage, IL

The MormonsThe Mormons(The Church of Jesus Christ of (The Church of Jesus Christ of

Latter-Day Saints)Latter-Day Saints)

Violence Against Mormons

The Mormon “Trek”

Deseret community, Utah

Salt Lake City, Utah

Brigham Young(1801-1877)

The MormonsThe Mormons

The ShakersThe ShakersMother Ann Lee Mother Ann Lee (1736-1784)(1736-1784)

If you improve in one talent, God will If you improve in one talent, God will give you more.give you more.

First community in US: First community in US: Niskayuna, NY Niskayuna, NY (modern Colonie, NY)(modern Colonie, NY)

Beliefs:Beliefs:– Enlightenment from withinEnlightenment from within– CelibacyCelibacy– Separation of genders in communitySeparation of genders in community– pacifismpacifism

Shaker MeetingShaker Meeting

'Tis the gift to be simple, 'Tis the gift to be free,'Tis the gift to come down where you ought to be,And when we find ourselves in the place just right,'Twill be in the valley of love and delight.

When true simplicity is gainedTo bow and to bend we shan't be ashamed,To turn, turn will be our delight,'Till by turning, turning we come round right.

Shaker HymnShaker Hymn

Shaker Simplicity & UtilityShaker Simplicity & Utility

2. 2. TranscendentalismTranscendentalism(literary and philosophical (literary and philosophical

movement)movement) Liberation from Liberation from understandingunderstanding and and

the the cultivation of reasoningcultivation of reasoning.”.”– ““Transcend” the limits of intellect and Transcend” the limits of intellect and

allow the emotions, the SOUL, to create allow the emotions, the SOUL, to create an original relationship with the an original relationship with the Universe.Universe.

Transcendentalist ThinkingTranscendentalist Thinking Man must acknowledge a body of moral Man must acknowledge a body of moral

truths:truths:1.1. The infinite benevolence of God.The infinite benevolence of God.2.2. The infinite benevolence of nature.The infinite benevolence of nature.3.3. The divinity of man.The divinity of man.

Rejected secular authority, Rejected secular authority, authority of organized authority of organized churches and the Scriptureschurches and the Scriptures

Therefore…Therefore…

Man should Man should reject superstition and reject superstition and slaveryslavery

Ralph WaldoEmerson

Henry DavidThoreau

Nature(1832) Walden

(1854)Civil

Disobedience(1849)

Self-Reliance (1841)

“The American Scholar”

(1837)

Transcendentalists, Transcendentalists, Concord, MAConcord, MA

Give freedom to the slave. Give well-being to the poor

and the miserable. Give learning to the

ignorant. Give health to the sick. Give peace and justice to

society.

The Transcendentalist AgendaThe Transcendentalist Agenda

Understand, don’t Understand, don’t copy!!!copy!!!

• Their pursuit of the ideal led to a distorted view of humannature and possibilities: * The Blithedale Romance

• One should accept the world as an imperfect place: * Scarlet Letter * House of the Seven Gables

A Transcendentalist Critic:A Transcendentalist Critic:Nathaniel Hawthorne (1804-1864)Nathaniel Hawthorne (1804-1864)

3. Utopian Communities

IndividualFreedom

Demands ofCommunity Life

CLASH!!!

spontaneity self-fulfillment

discipline organizational

hierarchy

Secular Utopian Communities

John Humphrey Noyes(1811-1886)

Millenarianism --> the 2nd

coming of Christ had already occurred.

Humans were no longer obliged to follow the moral rules of the past.

• all residents married to each other.• carefully regulated “free love.”

The Oneida CommunityNew York, 1848

George Ripley (1802-1880)

Brook FarmWest Roxbury, MA

Utopian Socialist“Village of

Cooperation”

Robert Owen (1771-1858)

New Harmony in 1832

Original Plans for New Harmony, IN

New Harmony, IN

Dorothea Dix(1802-1887)

4. Penitentiary Reform

Dorothea Dix Asylum - 1849

Frances Willard The Beecher Family

1826 - American Temperance Society

“Demon Rum”!

5. Temperance Movement

Annual Consumption of Alcohol

“The Drunkard’s Progress”

From the first glass to the grave, 1846

Sarah Ingraham(1802-1887)

R2-1

6. Social Reform ProstitutionThe “Fallen Woman”

MA 1st state to establish tax support for local public schools. 1860 every state -free public education to whites. * US: HIGH literacy rates.

7. Educational Reform

“Father of American Education”

children should be “molded” into a state of perfection

discouraged corporal punishment

established state teacher- training programs

Horace Mann (1796-1859)

The McGuffey Eclectic Readers

Troy, NY Female Seminary curriculum: math, physics, history, geography. train female teachers

Emma Willard(1787-1870)

Mary Lyons(1797-1849)

1837 she established Mt. Holyoke as the first college for women.

Women Educators

“Cult of Domesticity”

A woman’s “sphere” was in the home (it was a refuge from the cruel world outside).

Her role was to “civilize” her husband andfamily.

7. “Separate Spheres” Concept

1. Unable to vote.2. Legal status of a minor.3. Single could own her own

property.4. Married no control over

herproperty or her children.

5. Could not initiate divorce.6. Couldn’t make wills, sign a

contract, or bring suit in court without her husband’s permission.

Early 19th c. Women

The 2nd Great Awakening inspired women to improve society.

Angelina Grimké Sarah Grimké

Southern Abolitionists

Lucy Stone American Women’s

Suffrage Assoc. edited Woman’s Journal

Cult of Domesticity = Slavery

1840 split of abolitionist movement over women’s role in it.

London World Anti-Slavery Convention

Lucretia Mott Elizabeth Cady Stanton

1848 Seneca Falls Declaration of Sentiments

8. Women’s Rights

Seneca Falls Declaration

1816 American Colonization Society created-gradual, voluntary, emancipation.

9. Abolitionist Movement

Create a free slave state in Liberia, WestAfrica.

No real anti-slavery sentiment in the North in the 1820s & 1830s.

Gradualists Immediatists

Abolitionist Movement

Slavery & Masonryundermined republicanvalues.

Immediate emancipation with NO compensation.

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William Lloyd Garrison (1801-1879)

The Liberator

Lewis Tappan

Arthur Tappan

James Birney

Liberty Party. Ran for President in

1840 & 1844.

Other White Abolitionists

David Walker(1785-1830)

1829 Appeal to the Coloured Citizens of the World

Fight for freedom rather than wait to be set free by whites.

Black Abolitionists

1845 The Narrative of the Life Of Frederick Douglass1847 “The North Star”

Frederick Douglass (1817-1895)

Sojourner Truth (1787-1883)

or Isabella Baumfree

1850 The Narrative of Sojourner Truth R2-10

Harriet Tubman(1820-1913)

Leading Escaping Slaves Along the Underground Railroad

The Underground Railroad

“Conductor” ==== leader of the escape

“Passengers” ==== escaping slaves

“Tracks” ==== routes

“Trains” ==== farm wagons transporting

“Depots” ==== safe houses to rest/sleep

The Underground Railroad